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Flemming Kaul Dyvelstenen Sacred Stone on the Island of Samsø, Denmark – History, Myths and Cult Introduction At many places in the Danish countryside, Samsø, in Storebælt, between Jutland and you can find boulders in the landscape, Zealand, we shall follow some particular glacial erratics, transported by the ice features of folklore and historical material of the last glaciation from more moun- related to these stones. tainous regions north and northeast of Denmark. Only the Baltic island of Born- holm has its own solid rocks. Just minor Dyvelstenen portions of those boulders remain where Dyvelstenen should be considered as the the glaciers left them. The stones were most splendid example among the Dan- used in the thousands of megalithic tombs ish sacred stones, packed with layers of erected in Denmark during the Neolithic, legends. In its own mythology it embodies between 3600 and 3200 BC, and more a variety of themes and related actions. stones were used as kerb-stones of Bronze (1) A struggle related to the arriving Chris- Age mounds. Large scale Medieval church tianity: A giant has thrown a huge stone building activity took further toll on the after a new-built church, or a church un- stone material left in the landscape, as der construction, but missed. Dyvelstenen well as renaissance manors and castles. is one of those ‘missed shots’, here aimed Still, many smaller and larger stone at the Church of Nordby. (2) Fertility: The blocks can be seen in the landscape, some children came from Dyvelstenen, they being the last remains of megalithic tombs were fetched here. (3) Offerings: Bread of- of the Neolithic, others being used as ferings on Dyvelstenen, probably related menhirs, while quite some are seemingly to fertility cult and birth, and the wish for still resting in their original position. Due healthy children. (4) Relations to fire: the to the intensive and systematized collec- dangers of fire, farms and houses; possible tion of Danish folklore material during protection against fire. the second half og the 19th century and Dyvelstenen is situated high in the early parts of the 20th century, we are landscape, though not quite at the highest well acquainted with tales, traditions and point, overlooking Nordby Village, about legends related to these sacred stones (for one km south of it. From Dyvelstenen, instance: Tang Kristensen 1892-1901 & there is a splendid view over northern Schmidt 1933) – stones, most of which can parts of Samsø as well as the sea, Store- be seen and studied in their geographical bælt (Fig. 1). Dyvelstenen measures 3.4 x context today. 1.9 m east-west with max. height 1.1 m. It is not the aim, with this article to It is protected as an ancient monument make an analysis of the motifs of recorded according to the Danish protection leg- tales related to sacred stones, repeating islation (registered site number (Nordby themselves in Scandinavia, as well as in Parish): 030503-35; protection number: larger parts of Europe. Instead, by focus- 2717:5). ing on one sacred stone and its history, The name Dyvelstenen could most Dyvelstenen, on the Danish Island of easily be understood as a local name Adoranten 2020 41 Fig. 1. Dyvelstenen in its landscape setting, with dramatic views over land and sea. Seen towards southeast. Photo: F. Kaul. for Djævelstenen, meaning “the Devil’s ration with the National Museum (Eriksen Stone”. However, the name of the hill or 1990; Etting 2018). On Friday, 23rd of highest point close by, has been recorded September, at 2:15 PM the National Mu- as Dystensbjerg, which in the Parish ar- seum received a telephone call from count chive recordings of the National Museum Danneskiold-Samsø asking for help and (here 1874) has been interpreted as Dys- support on this important matter. Accord- sestensbjerg, meaning “Dolmen Stone ing to the administrative notes of that day Hill”. Thus, the name or a nearby place (documents of the topographic archive at name indicate the presence of a Neolithic the National Museum, Danish Prehistory, j. megalithic tomb, a dolmen (Eriksen 1990: no. 666/32), a possible protection of Dyvel- 53). stenen, should be considered; and here a connection with tales of unfertile women coming to Dyvelstenen, to be able to carry History children, was mentioned. In September 1932, Dyvelstenen was Most promptly, the National Museum at risk of being destroyed. The vicar of went into action. The monument conser- Nordby Church, Pastor Andreas Bayer, had vator of the National Museum, Julius Rak- become aware of plans of breaking the lev, was in these days incidentally working stone into pieces (“Dyvelstenen” som man with Neolithic dolmen restauration on vil slaa i Stykker). Pastor Bayer contacted Samsø. The notes inform us that a letter count (lensgreve) Danneskiold-Samsøe of would not reach J. Raklev before the af- Brattingborg, asking him to contact the ternoon or evening on the following day, National Museum in order to take action; Saturday, 24th of September. Consequently, the Danneskiold-Samsøe family then since a telegram was immediately dispatched to long – and also today – supporting the J. Raklev: “Contact Pastor Bayer, Nordby. antiquarian interests of Samsø in collabo- Investigate Dyvelstenen. Consider protec- 42 Adoranten 2020 tion of the site”. The telegram reached J. of the larger stones north of the ruined Raklev, and during the evening of Friday, monument seem to be at their original 23rd of September, he could plan his work place, as kerb stones of the dolmen. No for the day to come, 24th of September further documentation is presented. But 1932. Raklev (and probably a not men- since Raklev, as a prominent researcher tioned team of workmen) worked through and conservator of megalithic tombs, was the full day of the 24th of September, and familiar with their constructional details, a report was soon mailed to the National he had probably by a small-scale excava- Museum (in our ‘internet-times’, we shall tion effort found sufficient evidence for not forget, that communication and con- this statement, finding traces of the origi- sequently action was as swift almost hun- nal stone sockets of two of these stones. dred years ago, as today). Even though J. Raklev cleared the site, The site was cleared and cleaned for he could conclude that the dolmen ruin stone rubbish. The last remains of a recent was of no value considering initiating a sheep shelter was removed, as well as piles protection process. According to Raklev, of larger and smaller stones collected by no one would understand that the Dyv- the farmer from the fields close-by. elstenen was the remains of a (Neolithic) After clearing and investigating the Stone Age long dolmen. Even though the site, J. Raklev could conclude that Dyvel- vicar of Nordby, Pastor Bayer could very stenen was either the capstone or a cham- well understand these arguments, he was ber-side-stone of a ruined dolmen cham- thinking of the possibility of putting the ber. Furthermore, he pointed out that two “large and beautiful” stone in upright position, and protect the remains of the Fig. 2. Dyvelstenen, probably the cap stone of a Neolithic long dolmen, for the sake of the tales (in dolmen, where the remains of the kerb stones of the long dolmen cairn is seen in the foreground. Danish: “for Sagnets Skyld”). Pastor Bayer Photo: F. Kaul). mentioned that at later time he would re- turn to this possibility. Thus, Dyvelstenen remained unpro- tected. Somehow, the intervention by the National Museum may have helped in avoiding the threatening demolition. Pos- sibly, the attention to the tales may have contributed. One of the legends related to Dyvelstenen tells that if the stone is removed, it would cause fire in the village of Nordby (see below). Today Dyvelstenen and 12 other stones, representing the kerb stones of the long dolmen can be seen in a nicely kept and cleared area, with easy public access, close to the road. – prob- ably not so different from the state in which Raklev left it in 1932 (Fig. 2, Fig. 3). From 1932 and till today the history of Dyvelstenen can traced. In 1936, Pastor Andreas Bayer returned to his idea of raising Dyvelstenen in upright position, furthermore, making a small garden like plantation around, and even including an inscription on the stone. The idea was supported by conservator Julius Raklev, though rejected by the authorities of the Adoranten 2020 43 foreningssten). This ‘National movement’ continued during the 1930’ties. Also, on Samsø such celebrational monuments were erected (Eriksen 1990; Madsen 2007; Adriansen 2010), as one in Brundby, in the shape of a dolmen, being a symbol of Denmark (Fig. 4). Not all memorial stones erected in Den- mark were related to the reunion of South Jutland with Denmark. From 1744 and on- wards we can follow a tradition of raising memorial stones related to specific archae- Fig. 3. Dyvelstenen in the foreground, the other remains of the megalith long dolmen in the background. ological finds and locations (Wienberg Photo: F. Kaul. 2007, Kaul 2010: 38-41). Some of these memorial stones (with a temporal con- National Museum. However, the leader of centration in the 1930’ties and 1940’ties) the Prehistoric department of the National should be understood as ‘national monu- Museum, Johannes Brøndsted writes in ments’, but we shall not forget that such a October 1936 that a protection of Dyvel- memorial stone could as well represent a stenen may be considered of “folkloristic feeling of local identity, marking your own reasons” (documents of the topographic area as a place of importance (Adriansen archive at the National Museum, Danish 2010: 160-165); thus, creating a connec- Prehistory, j.